


I can save her

by Buttercheese



Category: Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Forgotten Realms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23031238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercheese/pseuds/Buttercheese
Summary: Bhaal's priests are going to mass slaughter the Bhaalspawn in an unholy ritual to revive their dead master. Can the Harpers stop them?
Relationships: Alianna/Gorion (Baldur's Gate)





	I can save her

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILER WARNING for Baldur's Gate 1 to Throne of Bhaal.  
> CONTENT WARNING for blood and violence.
> 
> I made a point to keep the identity of [CHARNAME] as vague as humanly possible, so that every reader can imagine their own character in the role. I also fixed the timeline plothole in which [CHARNAME] would only be ten years old by the beginning of the game. If you like what I did here, feel free to adopt this story into your own headcanon and expand upon it, it would be my honor :)

Long has she waited for this day. Just a few tendays ago had her god, the Lord of Murder, _Bhaal,_ been slain on Boareskyr Bridge. It had been foretold that it would come to this, long ago, by the great prophet Alaundo.

_The Lord of Murder shall perish,  
_ _but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny.  
_ _Chaos will be sown from their passing._

All the hard work she and the other Deathstalkers had done, was finally going to come to fruition. Many more groups of cultists all across Faerûn were preparing for the same ritual this very night. The children had been collected. More than two dozen of them had been kept as prisoners at Bhaal’s secret temple in the Forest of Wyrms. _Bhaalspawn,_ they called them. Some of them were the children of the Deathstalkers themselves. Others they had kidnapped from across the region and beyond. Bhaal had visited countless women years before his death, so that they could carry his offspring for him. 

Alianna had been one of them. She had been _chosen._ One night Bhaal had come to her and blessed her with his heir. And tonight was the night she was going to kill her child, so that its father may live again.

* * *

It was getting dark, so the Harpers were about to set out from their camp to get to the temple at the heart of the woods. They only had little information about the ritual, but one in their ranks was determined despite all of this.

He had known Alianna for years. He had been _in love_ with her for years. But his love had never been returned. She had suddenly vanished without a trace a few years ago. She didn’t give a reason nor did she say goodbye. He had given up on ever seeing her again. Until the Harpers had started investigating the sudden increase in abductions all over the realms. That’s when he found out what had happened to Alianna. He had reached out to her. Meeting with her in secret repeatedly since. 

_I can save her._

He had been telling himself that over and over again in his mind, ever since he had found out about her double life as a priestess of Bhaal. She had been adamant about staying at the temple. _“Even if I would want to leave, they have my child. I can’t leave without it.”_ she had said to him. 

To him it was clear: They were blackmailing her.

_I can save them._

“G-Gorion, you sh-should maybe try and f-focus? You m-might get hurt otherwise.” Khalid had walked up next to him as he had been staring holes into the air. Gorion sighed deeply.

“I didn’t know she had a child.” He didn’t move a single muscle on his face, but his eyes suddenly radiated an immense sorrow. “She refused to tell me who the father is.”

“Do y-you mean A-A-Alianna?” 

Khalid looked uncomfortable. Granted, he always looked uncomfortable, but now even more than usual. Even back when the four of them - that is Gorion, Alianna, Khalid and his back-then-not-yet-wife Jaheira - were still traveling the realms together as adventurers, it was pretty obvious to everyone that Gorion had developed feelings for her. And it was equally obvious, that Alianna never felt the same about him. 

“I… understand that y-you are sad, but we have d-duty to fulfill. C-come on, it is time.”

With that, the half-elf turned around and walked back to the others. Gorion remained for another moment and then up and followed.

_I can save her._

* * *

“Bring the children!” the High Priestess exclaimed. _Children_ wasn’t exactly the right word. Sure, most of the prisoners were pretty young, but some of them were adults. Bhaal had begun work on his plan quite a while ago. So a few of them were easily a century old, if not older. 

A cultist clad in purple and black robes stepped into the hall dragging a chain behind himself, on which he led a long line of Bhaal’s offspring into the room, where they all lined about along the back wall. The prisoners all had a hazy expression on their faces, for they had been put under a mind numbing spell.

After them, more cultists entered and aligned themselves in a circle around the large skull symbol that had been layered into the stone flooring.

The High Priestess walked up to join her fellow cultist in the circle and raised both her arms.

“Brothers! Sisters! Children of the darkness! The time has finally come! It has been only a few tenday ago, that our Master was slain by he whose name we shall never utter!” She stepped into the center of the circle. “But _tonight!_ Yes, tonight, my fellow Darkstalkers, on this new moon, we shall release Bhaal’s essence so that it may bring our Lord back to life! Glory to the Lord of Murder!”

“GLORY TO THE LORD OF MURDER!” replied the robed figures in unison. The person at the center raised her hand. 

“Let us begin! Bring forth the first child!”

And with that, the cultists started chanting in an ancient, evil tongue. The torches on the walls painted their shadows in wild shapes across the room, when one of Darkstalkers led the first Bhaalspawn to the center of the circle. The High Priestess brandished a waved dagger from beneath her robe and stood behind the hypnotised prisoner.

“LORD OF MURDER! I, MADELE, YOUR LOYAL SERVANT, RELEASE YOU FROM THIS MORTAL HUSK!”

Blood ran down the Bhaalspawn’s chest, after Madele had cut their throat. A moment later, they sank to the ground, the blood dripping into the intricate relief on the floor, where it began to form small crimson pools. Another moment later, the body turned to dust, which in return vanished into thin air. The High Priestess looked upon her work with a grim smile.

“Bring me the next one!”

* * *

The Harpers ran. The magic users in their group had been able to detect that something suddenly started stirring. As if something malevolent had just been released into the air. They had no more time to lose. 

Finally, they spotted the small mountain that suddenly rose up behind the large trees.

“This is the place!” announced Gorion to the rest of the group. Stay low, quiet, and be ready to fight at any second!”

A few protective spells later, they began to make their way up the mountain, I'm which the temple of Bhaal was hidden. 

* * *

Bhaalspawn after Bhaalspawn was cut down by the cultists. All the deeper parts of the skull relief had been filled with dark, red fluid. The smell of death was in the air. Suddenly, one of the cultists cried out in pain. The chanting stopped and all of them turned around to look at their screaming brother. He toppled over and a gnome holding a short sword was revealed to stand behind him. “‘Ullo, mates!”

The Harpers had arrived.

Utter chaos broke out. Spells were flung, blades were crossed, bodies were falling to the floor. Gorion conjured his magic to release the prisoners from their enchantment. “Uki, quick, their chains!” The gnomish rogue didn’t need to be asked twice and immediately got to work, while Gorion used a shielding spell to keep away the Darkstalkers.

“You fool! What are you doing?!” Alianna had pulled her hood off her head and stormed towards Gorion. “You are destroying everything I worked for!”

“I am trying to help you! We are here to rescue you!”

Alianna was furious.

“I DO NOT NEED RESCUING!”

The pain in Gorion’s face was obvious.

“Alianna, plea-”

“I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS IF I HAVE TO!”

And then Gorion’s magic barrier stopped working. Alianna was just a shadow as she darted towards him, a knife in her hand, ready to cut his heart out. But before she could reach him, a long sword struck her into the ribcage. Khalid had been quicker than her. Letting out a muffled breath, she fell to the floor. Gorion immediately crouched down next to her.

“...no… no no no no no no no…” he stammered as his hands hovered over her motionless body.

“Get up! We d-don’t have time for this!” 

Khalid was right of course. But by the time Gorion looked up, he saw how many people had fallen, on both sides. Most of the children were gone. Some of the cultists had run after them. All they cared about was fulfilling their duty to their dark Lord.

Amidst the chaos, he spotted one of the Bhaalspawn. Gorion at least wouldn’t let them have this one. So he grabbed them and made a run for it.

_At least I can save you._


End file.
